Karnataka to abolish late admission penalty in PU colleges from 2026-27

Students who delay admission to government pre-university (PU) colleges in Karnataka will no longer have to pay penalty from the 2026-27 academic session. The Ministry of School Education and Literacy has withdrawn the late admission fee system, saying the rule was being abused by some universities.So far, students who took admission 10 days after the deadline had to pay a late fee of Rs 670, while students who took admission within 20 days had to pay a special penalty of Rs 2,220.

Government says abuse of penalty clauses

The department said the penalty system introduced through a government order on March 20, 2018, was to regulate admissions taken after the deadline without approval from higher authorities. As per the latest order, first and second pre-university course (PUC) students in government PU colleges will be exempted from these fees.The department said in a post on “Penalty of Rs 670 and Rs 2,220 will be fully waived for students deferred admission to first and second PUC courses in all public pre-university colleges across the state from this academic year (2026-27).

Universities told to adhere to admissions timetable

The Ministry of School Education and Literacy has directed all government public universities to strictly adhere to the admission schedule. Directors of pre-university education have been asked to issue detailed instructions and monitor their implementation.The government said the decision is expected to benefit students from financially disadvantaged families who often need more time to prepare documents or complete admissions procedures. He said the removal of additional fees could help more students continue their education at the PU level.